Rod wrench



Oct. 29, 1940. w. v. JONES 2,219,421

ROD WRENCH Filed Oct. 27, 1938 Patented Get. 29, 1940 ROD WRENCH I William Virgil Jones, Oklahoma City, Okla.

Application October 27, 1938, Serial No. 237,248

Claims.

This invention relates to rod wrenches, and more particularly wrenches for use in joining sucker rods in oil wells, which latter are in threaded connection with one another, or connected through a threaded nipple.

The primary object of the invention is toprovide a wrench of this character, which is initially useable with the jaw head disposed intermediate the ends of the handle and releasably connected thereto so as to function as an ordinary wrench, to engage the sucker rod when the latter is being screwed into position, and which subsequently is useable, by sliding of the jaw to a second position, to tighten the coupling by successive hammering or impact of the handle against the jaw thereby to finally tighten the joint, or reversely useable to break the joint. i

A further object of the invention is to provide means for holding the wrench in a predetermined position on the rod, at substantially right angles thereto, thereby to prevent movement thereof lengthwise of the rod during, either or both of, the aforesaid operations.

Briefly, the invention proposes the provision of a handle and a jaw slidable therealong, the jaw being preferably releasably held in a predetermined position to enable the initial threading operation to be accomplished, and upon sliding of the jaw to a second position dle and jaw, whereby space is provided therebetween, to enable the handle to be moved toward and against the jaw to deliver quick, sharp hammer blows thereto, so as to effect final tightening of the joint. 35 In the drawing, Fig. 1 is a side view of the invention, partly broken away and in section, showing the jaw in initial position, to function as an ordinary wrench;

Fig. 2 is aside view, tion to enable hammer the jaw;

Fig. 3 is an edge view, and

Fig. 4 is a side elevation showing the wrench on a rod, as in use.

In proceeding in accordance with the present invention, a handle I is employed, which is weighted at one end as indicated at la, and preferably filled with Babbitt metal to afford the desired weight and to also lessen the shock, incident to impact, on the hands of the operator. At its opposite end the handle, is cut away as indicated at lb and is provided with a removable pin 3, or other equivalent stop means. The jaw head or member 2 is generally U-shaped in configuration to provide two opposite jaw faces, and is provided showing the parts in posiblows to be delivered to to so relate the hanwith a bore to slidably receive the handle I, the bore being enlarged as indicated at 2', to provide for tilting movements of the jaw head, as will be later set forth.

The handle I is further provided with one or more teeth 2", engaged by a spring latch 6, here shown merely by way of example, as composed of a flat steel spring having a part engaged with one of the teeth and held in position at one end by a screw 1, and tensioned at its opposite end by coil spring 5. However, any suitable latch mechanism can be employed to hold the jaw head 2 in the position of Fig. 1, wherein same. is fixedly related to the handle and functions as an ordinary wrench. I

The jaw head 2 is freely slidalole longitudinally of the handle, and the latch mechanism is of such nature so that same may be released by merely applying sufiicient pressure on the handle to effect relative sliding movement of the latter to cause 9 the jaw head to occupy the position of Fig. 2, and wherein, due to the cutaway portion lb, the head 2 has its impact or hammer blow-receiving 2a disposed in spaced relation to the handle or at an angle thereto as depicted in Fig. 2. Thus upon movement of the handle toward and away from the impact-receiving face 2a any desired number of blows can be delivered to the head, to effect final movement or limit to which the parts of the coupling will permi 30 Referring to Figs. 3 and 4, it will be seen that the head is provided with opposed humps or projections 8 and 9 on its sides, which latter are for engagement with the adjacent shouldered portions of the coupling as shown in Fig. 4, to hold the wrench in the position therein shown in operation of the parts as will now be described.

The wrench is originally positioned on the coupling rod 4, with its head disposed intermediate the ends of the handle and with the latch holding the head against movement. The wrench is then used as an ordinary one to effect initial connection of the parts by screwing thereof, until the parts are brought into abutment. Then the handle I is moved or slid by the operator until same occupies the position of Fig. 2, wherein the jaw head is arrested by the stop 3, and occupies a position with its blow-receiving face 2a spaced from the handle. The operator then moves the handle toward and against and away from the blow-receiving face 2a with the stop as a fulcrum so as to deliver blows to the face 2a until the joint is tightened to the limit.

It will therefore be seen that the invention initially functions as an ordinary wrench until the ordinary threaded operation of the joint has been effected, following which the handle is then employed as a hammer to act against the jaw head to couple the parts in final abutting, or tightened position.

The foregoing presents one form in which the invention may be practiced, which however, is susceptible to such changes or modifications as fall within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a wrench, a jaw element having an opening with opposed substantially parallel walls, one of said walls terminating in an inclined portion, a handle element slidable in said opening and having parallel portions engaging said parallel walls in one position of the handle element to cause the two elements to move .together in screwing and unscrewing operations, and means adjacent one end of the handle element to limit sliding movement thereof through the jaw element, there being clearance between said end of the handle element and the jaw element when the handle element is in a second position, to cooperate with the inclined portion of the jaw element whereby to provide for pivotal movement of the handle element relative to the jaw element, to enable the handle element to deliver hammering blows to the jaw element.

2. In a wrench, a jaw having an opening with an outwardly flared portion at one end thereof, and further having opposed substantially parallel walls, and a handle slidable in said opening, and having adjacent sides for engagement with said opposed parallel walls of the opening whereby in one position of the handle same engages said parallel Walls to provide for movement of the handle and jaw in unison in screwing and unscrewing operations, and said handle having a cutaway part whereby when the handle is in a second position to provide for pivotal movement of the jaw in the outwardly flared portion of the jaw, whereby to enable the handle to deliver hammer blows to the jaw.

3. A wrench in accordance with claim 2, wherein there is means to hold the jaw and handle against relative sliding when engaged with the parallel walls of the jaw opening.

4. A wrench in accordance with claim 2, wherein there is means to limit movement of the jaw on the handle, whereby to hold the jaw and handle against separation during the delivery of hammer blows to the jaw by the handle.

5. In a wrench, a handle element having opposed parallel surfaces on its sides with one of said surfaces terminating in an inclined cutaway portion at one end of the handle, a jaw element having an opening receiving the handle for sliding movements of one on the other, said jaw element opening having one wall formed with a fulcrum surface for engagement with one side of the handle and having its opposite wall forming a prolonged surface for engagement with the other side of the handle, said prolonged surface extending to opposite sides of a point directly opposed to said fulcrum surface whereby the opposed walls of the opening cooperate to prevent relativerocking of the handle and jaw elements during predetermined sliding movements of one on the other and until said cutaway end surface portion of the handle has moved into the jaw opening in substantial opposition to said fulcrum surface at one side of the transverse thrust on the handle.

WILLIAM VIRGJL JONES. 

